List of birds by population
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a set of lists of bird species by global population, divided by avian order. While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biology and population ecology. Contributing organizations include the IUCN, BirdLife International, and Partners in Flight.
The global population of all mature birds is estimated to be 50 – 100 billion individuals.[1][2][3][4] Total species population, including immature individuals, is higher during the breeding season of each species.[3]
These lists are incomplete, because experts have not estimated all bird populations. For example, the spectacled flowerpecker was only discovered in 2010, and did not receive its scientific name (Dicaeum dayakorum) until 2019,[5] adding to the other 73 new bird species described by ornithologists from 2000 – 2009.[6][7][8] Global population estimates for many of these at this time would lack accuracy.
All numbers are estimates, because they are made via bird surveys (e.g., point counting) and extrapolating species density estimates made via observation data over a species' known range.[9] Population estimates should be interpreted with a margin of error, even when only one value is provided.
The number of species within a order corresponds to IOC guidance[10] unless otherwise noted. IUCN/Birdlife International taxonomic classifications[11] often differ from the IOC; for specific disagreements, see Order specific pages.
By taxonomy
| List by taxonomic order | Birds included | # of quantified species / # of total species (%)1 | Example of less common species | Example of more common species | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accipitriformes | Hawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures | 180 / 259 (69%) | Philippine eagle (CR) |  |
Roadside hawk (LC) |  |
| Pop: 128-924[12] | Pop: 5,000,000-50,000,000[13] | |||||
| Aegotheliformes | Owlet-nightjars | 1 / 10 (10%) | ||||
| Anseriformes | Waterfowl: ducks, geese, swans, screamers | 176 / 178 (99%) | White-winged duck (CR) |
|
Mallard (LC) |
|
| Pop: 150-450[14] | Pop: 17,260,000-19,300,000[15] | |||||
| Apodiformes | Swifts, hummingbirds | 167 / 480 (35%) | Santa Marta sabrewing (CR) |  |
Common swift (LC) | _(cropped).jpg) |
| Pop: 1-49[16] | Pop: 80,000,000-142,000,000[17] | |||||
| Apterygiformes | Kiwis | 5 / 5 (100%) | Okarito kiwi (VU) |  |
Southern brown kiwi (VU) |  |
| Pop: 350-400[18] | Pop: 16,500[19] | |||||
| Bucerotiformes | Hornbills, hoopoes, scimitarbills | 15 / 75 (20%) | Sulu hornbill (CR) |  |
Eurasian hoopoe (LC) |  |
| Pop: 1 - 49[20] | Pop: 5,000,000 - 10,000,000[21] | |||||
| Caprimulgiformes | Nightjars, nighthawks, poorwills | 31 / 98 (32%) | Jamaican poorwill (CR) |  | Common nighthawk (LC) | .jpg) |
| Pop: 1-49[22] | Pop: 23,000,000[23] | |||||
| Cariamiformes | Seriemas | 0 / 2 (0%) | ||||
| Cathartiformes | New World vultures, condors | 5 / 7 (71%) | California condor (CR) | .jpg) |
Black vulture (LC) | _(13074578505).jpg) |
| Pop: 93[24] | Pop: 50,000,000-99,999,999[25] | |||||
| Casuariiformes | Cassowaries, emus | 3 / 4 (75%) | Northern cassowary (LC) |  |
Emu (LC) |  |
| Pop: 10,000-19,999[26] | Pop: 630,000-725,000[27] | |||||
| Charadriiformes | Waders, gulls, terns, auks | 343 / 392 (88%)2 | Jerdon's courser (CR) |  | Sooty tern (LC) |  |
| Pop: 1-50[28] | Pop: 23,000,000[29] | |||||
| Ciconiiformes | Storks | 20 / 20 (100%) | Storm's stork (EN) |  | White stork (LC) |  |
| Pop: 300-1,750[30] | Pop: 526,000-588,000[31] | |||||
| Coliiformes | Mousebirds | 0 / 6 (0%) | ||||
| Columbiformes | Doves, pigeons | 147 / 352 (42%) | Grenada dove (CR) |  | Mourning dove (LC) |  |
| Pop: 136-182[32] | Pop: 120,000,000-140,000,000[33] | |||||
| Coraciiformes | Kingfishers, motmots, bee-eaters | 58 / 186 (31%) | Marquesan kingfisher (CR) | _-_crop.png) | Ringed kingfisher (LC) |  |
| Pop: 350[34] | Pop: 20,000,000[35] | |||||
| Cuculiformes | Cuckoos | 29 / 156 (19%) | Sumatran ground cuckoo (EN) |  | Common cuckoo (LC) |  |
| Pop: 1,500-6,000[36] | Pop: 34,600,000-54,400,000[37] | |||||
| Eurypygiformes | Kagu, sunbittern | 2 / 2 (100%) | Kagu (EN) |  |
Sunbittern (LC) | .jpg) |
| Pop: 250 - 299[38] | Pop: 500,000-4,999,999[39] | |||||
| Falconiformes | Falcons and caracaras | 47 / 65 (72%) | Mauritius kestrel (EN) | .jpg) | American kestrel (LC) | _male_Leona_Amarga.jpg) |
| Pop: 140 - 170[40] | Pop: 9,200,000[41] | |||||
| Galliformes | Landfowl: pheasants, guineafowl, quails, curassows, megapodes | 153 / 307 (50%) | Edward's pheasant (CR) |  | Common pheasant (LC) | _at_the_territorial_shout.jpg) |
| Pop: 0-49[42] | Pop: 75,000,000-150,000,0003[43] | |||||
| Gaviiformes | Loons | 5 / 5 (100%) | Yellow-billed loon (NT) |  | Pacific loon (LC) |  |
| Pop: 11,000 – 21,000[44] | Pop: 930,000 – 1,600,000[45] | |||||
| Gruiformes | Cranes, rails, finfoots, trumpeters, limpkin | 137 / 190 (72%)4 | Lord Howe woodhen (EN) |  | American coot (LC) |  |
| Pop: 200-286[46] | Pop: 7,100,000[47] | |||||
| Leptosomiformes | Cuckoo-roller | 0 / 1 (0%) | ||||
| Mesitornithiformes | Mesites | 3 / 3 (100%) | White-breasted mesite (VU) |  |
Subdesert mesite (VU) |  |
| Pop: 5,300[48] | Pop: 65,000-110,000[49] | |||||
| Musophagiformes | Turacos | 3 / 23 (13%) | ||||
| Nyctibiiformes | Potoos | 3 / 7 (43%) | Northern potoo (LC) | _Orange_Walk.jpg) |
Great potoo (LC) | .jpg) |
| Pop: 50,000 - 499,999[50] | Pop: 500,000 - 4,999,999[51] | |||||
| Opisthocomiformes | Hoatzin | 0 / 1 (0%) | ||||
| Otidiformes | Bustards, floricans, korhaans | 11 / 26 (42%) | Great Indian bustard (CR) |  |
Little bustard (NT) | ,_Castuera,_Extremadura,_Spain.jpg) |
| Pop: 50-249[52] | Pop: 100,000-499,999[53] | |||||
| Passeriformes | Passerines: New Zealand wrens, suboscines, songbirds | ? / 6533 | Banded cotinga (CR) |  |
Barn swallow (LC) |  |
| Pop: 50-249[54] | Pop: 290,000,000 - 487,000,000[55] | |||||
| Pelecaniformes | Ibises, spoonbills, herons, shoebill, hamerkop, pelicans | 106 / 118 (90%) | White-bellied heron (CR) |  | Cocoi heron (LC) |  |
| Pop: 50-249[56] | Pop: 5,000,000-49,999,999[57] | |||||
| Phaethontiformes | Tropicbirds | 3 / 3 (100%) | Red-billed tropicbird (LC) | .jpg) |
White-tailed tropicbird (LC) | .jpg) |
| Pop: 16,000-30,000[58] | Pop: 400,000[59] | |||||
| Phoenicopteriformes | Flamingos | 6 / 6 (100%) | Andean flamingo (VU) |  | Lesser flamingo (NT) |  |
| Pop: 38,000[60] | Pop: 2,220,000 – 3,240,000[61] | |||||
| Piciformes | Woodpeckers, jacamars, toucans, barbets, honeyguides | 133 / 448 (30%) | Ivory-billed woodpecker (CR) |  | Great spotted woodpecker (LC) |  |
| Pop: 1-49[62] | Pop: 49,000,000-78,000,000[63] | |||||
| Podargiformes | Frogmouths | 2 / 16 (13%) | ||||
| Podicipediformes | Grebes | 22 / 23 (96%)5 | New Zealand grebe (LC) |  | Black-necked grebe (LC) | .jpg) |
| Pop: 1,000 – 5,000[64] | Pop: 3,900,000 – 4,200,000[65] | |||||
| Procellariiformes | Albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels | 143 / 149 (96%) | New Zealand storm petrel (CR) |  | Antarctic prion (LC) |  |
| Pop: 1-49[66] | Pop: 50,000,000[67] | |||||
| Psittaciformes | Parrots, cockatoos | 185 / 406 (46%) | Orange-bellied parrot (CR) |  | Blue-headed parrot (LC) |  |
| Pop: 20-25[68] | Pop: 5,000,000-49,999,999[69] | |||||
| Pterocliformes | Sandgrouse | 2 / 16 (13%) | ||||
| Rheiformes | Rheas | 0 / 2 (0%) | ||||
| Sphenisciformes | Penguins | 18 / 19 (95%) | Galapagos penguin (EN) | _-standing_on_rock.jpg) | Macaroni penguin (VU) |  |
| Pop: 1,200[70] | Pop: 12,600,000[71] | |||||
| Steatornithiformes | Oilbird | 1 / 1 (100%) | ||||
| Strigiformes | Owls | 96 / 254 (38%) | Seychelles scops owl (CR) | .jpg) | Ferruginous pygmy owl (LC) |  |
| Pop: 200-280[72] | Pop: 20,000,000[73] | |||||
| Struthioniformes | Ostriches | 1 / 2 (50%) | Somali ostrich (VU) |  |
Common ostrich (LC) | ,_parque_nacional_de_Amboseli,_Kenia,_2024-05-22,_DD_62.jpg) |
| Pop: unknown[74] | Pop: 300,000-900,000[75] | |||||
| Suliformes | Shags, frigatebirds, gannets, cormorants | 44 / 60 (73%) | Chatham Islands shag (CR) | .jpg) |
Neotropic cormorant (LC) | .jpg) |
| Pop: 710[76] | Pop: 2,000,000[77] | |||||
| Tinamiformes | Tinamous | 17 / 46 (37%) | Black tinamou (VU) |  | Great tinamou (LC) |  |
| Pop: 1,900 – 4,400[78] | Pop: 5,000,000 – 49,999,999[79] | |||||
| Trogoniformes | Trogons, quetzals | 14 / 43 (33%) | Javan trogon (VU) | .jpg) | Collared trogon (LC) |
|
| Pop: 2,500 – 9,999[80] | Pop: 5,000,000 – 49,999,999[81] | |||||
_(14027165535).jpg)
See also
Notes
- 1.^Denominator (Total Species in Order) from IOC List of Birds (version 15.1).[10]
- 2.^Number of species with population estimates includes estimates for Northern New Zealand dotterel, common white tern, and little white tern, which are considered full species by IUCN/BirdLife International, but subspecies by the IOC.[82][83][11]
- 3.^Values include the common pheasant's estimated population across its introduced range.[43]
- 4.^Number of species with population estimates includes estimates for black-winged trumpeter and Junin crake, which are considered full species by IUCN/BirdLife International, but subspecies by the IOC.[84][11]
- 5.^IOC recognizes tricolored grebe as a full species; IUCN/BirdLife International do not.[85][11] The latter splits silvery grebe into two species (northern/southern silvery grebe); which the former retains as one species.[85][86] This results in 23 total species regardless, and 22 species with populations quantified.